Almost Lost
by ShinigamiDeathscytheSan
Summary: Heero dies on a mission before he manages to finish it, so Duo -who is now suicidal- is sent to complete it in his lover's place. YAOI! 01x02, post-war, angst... please r&r!
1. Bad News

**Well, here's my latest story! it's not quite done yet, but i only have like a chapter and a half to go, soooo... **

**but i'm really liking this fic :D get ready for some major angstyness**

* * *

Almost Lost

Chapter 1

Bad News

"_Maxwell, I need you in my office,"_ said Une's voice through the comm. link of the phone on Duo's desk.

Pressing the button on the phone, Duo replied lazily, "Yes ma'am..."

He stood and stretched before making his way out of the office that he and Heero shared.

Heero, however, was currently away on some solo mission. Duo didn't know much about it, other than that his lover wasn't due back for at least another few days to a week. When Heero had been given the mission, Duo had insisted on going with him, but Une had refused. "This is a _solo_ mission. Agent Yuy is more than capable of handling this on his own," she had said. Duo had argued, as it was in his nature to be stubborn, but Une hadn't given in. So, when the day for Heero to get shipped out had come, Duo had made his lover swear to return safely and to ditch his mission if it got too dangerous.

Heero promised and then kissed Duo lovingly before turning and walking over to the jet that would be taking him to the drop-zone of his mission. And that was the last Duo had seen of Heero.

Duo snapped out of his musings as he entered Une's office. He walked up to her desk, grinning his trademark smile. "What's up? Got a mission for me?" he asked cheerily, hoping he'd have a chance to get out of his boring office for a few days.

Une looked sullen, her face emotionless, "In a way, yes," she said. "Please, Duo, sit down."

Duo did as he was told, but not without a look of slight suspicion. Une never called him by his given name, not unless she had really bad news...

"Agent Yuy has been reported KIA," she stated emotionlessly.

"K-killed...?" gaped Duo, his eyes wide; his hands tightly clutched the arms of his chair.

"I'm afraid so. He went missing several days ago, only a day or so before he was due to contact us as part of his mission. And by now it's safe to assume that he has—"

Duo cut her off, not believing what was being said. "Heero... Heero can't have died. He just... no..!" he nearly doubled over in his chair, gasping, clutching his chest as despair took over. He was on the verge of a breakdown.

"I'm sorry Duo, but it's too late now..."

"You're lying!" denied Duo, his eyes shut tight. "I don't believe you!"

"I'm telling the truth, Duo. I wouldn't lie about another agent's death. And I wouldn't tell you unless I knew it to be true."

Heero didn't die! It was impossible! He had promised that he wouldn't... he had promised to return safely... and coming back in a body bag wasn't coming back safely.

Duo felt hot tears began to stream from his eyes. He couldn't handle the thought of Heero being dead... he just couldn't. "No... It can't be true..." he whispered.

With a frown, Une quickly called Sally over the phone's comm. link. She then hurriedly went over to try to calm Duo herself. She knew that something like this was going to happen—that's why she didn't tell him at first when Heero went missing—but she felt that it was her duty to let Duo know about Heero's demise.

Duo took no notice of her hands on his shoulders, shaking him, trying to calm him down. "Maxwell, get a hold of yourself! This is no time for a nervous breakdown!" ordered Une, trying to keep her voice hard.

But Duo didn't hear her. He was completely consumed by denial and depression.

Sally arrived a moment later, saw what was going on, and quickly sedated Duo before he got any worse. "What's going on?" she asked as Une called for someone to help carry Duo to the small medical wing.

The commander of Preventers frowned, "I just informed him of... Agent Yuy's demise..." she said, her voice only somewhat downcast.

"Oh god... how terrible! Are you sure it's true?" gasped Sally as another agent arrived to help her lift up Duo's unconscious body.

"I'm as sure as I can be with what information I have. The tracking device in Yuy's data transmitter was completely destroyed nearly a week ago..."

"All I can say is that I hope Duo can pull through, that he's strong enough to handle this," Sally said as she held one of Duo's arms over her shoulder.

"I hope so too... Oh, and let me know when he wakes up?"

"Yes ma'am."

. . .

Duo awoke to a headache, a hard cot and a bright room.

He tried to reach up to rub his head, but found that he was restrained by Preventers-issue cuffs. "What the—" he grumbled as he pulled on the restraints.

But then everything came back to him and he remembered the fact that Heero was dead. And they must've knocked him out when he had that breakdown earlier... Tears began to stream from his eyes again as images of Heero, lying dead somewhere, his body battered and broken, flashed across his vision.

"Duo...?" he turned his head to see Sally sitting at her desk. So not only was he chained to a cot, but it was the one in Sally's office...

Duo then stared back up at the ceiling, trying to fight the utter despair that had taken hold in his chest.

"Duo's awake now," he heard Sally say.

Then a reply from the phone, _"Thank you. I'll be right over,"_ said Une.

Duo pulled on the restraints as Sally walked up to him. "Take these damned things off, I need to go kill myself," he heard himself blurt, his voice shaky. He didn't care that he was still crying...

"That's exactly why they're there," she stated seriously.

Duo scoffed angrily, feeling hate rise up in his chest, smothering the depression. They wouldn't even let him commit suicide and join Heero on the other side...

A few moments later, Une appeared in the doorway of Sally's office.

"Maxwell," she said, walking over to the cot where Duo lay.

"What," he spat. He welcomed the angered feelings, knowing it would spare him from his sorrow... for now.

"I have a mission for you," she stated bluntly.

Sally turned to face Une in shock, "What? You can't send him on a mission in his condition! He's suicidal!"

"That's exactly why. Maxwell, I am assigning you the rest of Yuy's mission. I need you to at least _try_. After that... you're free to take away your own life. I won't stop you if you manage to complete the mission," said Une, her tone even and very serious.

Duo was speechless.

"Come with me to my office so we can discus the mission parameters. You'll be shipped out tonight."

Duo growled, "Well get these damned cuffs off me and I will..."

* * *

**poor poor duo... well, it's fun to mess with him XD please tell me what you guys thought... reviews make me happy.**

**okay, so i'll update the next chapter tomorrow morning (heero and i are going to quatre's house XD) but ya, i'll finish this as soon as i can, and get workin on htat idea that i came up with last night! **

**-Shinigami out.**


	2. Mission Parameters

**well, here's chapter 2! and i'm sorry that these are short, but i think i like the idea of lotsa short chapters... **

**anyways... yeah. that's it. enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2

Mission Parameters

"So, what do I gotta do before you let me kill myself?"

Une sighed, frowning, "You're going to have to take care of the second half of Yuy's mission. I need you to sneak into the rebel base and steal all the blueprints and information on the new super-weapon that they're building. After that, blow the place and get back to Preventers with the data in one piece."

"Doesn't sound too hard. Are you sure this is the rest of ...the mission?" It hurt to say Heero's name, so he chose to avoid it. Chose to keep himself feeling nothing but anger. He didn't have time to be sad or have another breakdown. "What was the first half?"

"Yes, this is the same mission. The first part consisted of infiltrating the rebel base and obtaining viable proof that they are indeed a threat to world peace. And..." she didn't dare say Heero's name or speak of his death, "what information we have is proof enough, even if it wasn't the information we intended on receiving..."

Duo frowned and stood. "When am I leaving?"

"As soon as possible. Go get ready; I'll alert the ground control and get you a pilot."

"Gotcha," said Duo as he roughly grabbed the file that Une had handed him and turned to leave the office.

. . .

Duo sighed as he shrugged off his Preventers jacket. He wasn't surprised to see that his service pistol was gone from the holster at his hip. He opened up his locker and pulled out all his mission gear and set it on the bench.

He took his time changing into the black uniform, contemplating suicide.

He was somewhat glad that he got to take on Heero's unfinished mission. Not only because Heero would've hated to leave the mission only halfway done, but it was a perfect opportunity to get revenge.

Duo felt himself grin evilly. Shinigami was about to rise again...

...If only for a short while, before his demise.

Another reason Duo was glad about this mission. It would keep his mind off the fact that Heero was gone... it would keep him distracted until the time he could meet his lover in Hell.

But then, through all the anger and numbness, Duo felt another tear slide down his cheek. _'No! I will _not_ cry! Not now, not yet...'_ he thought bitterly. _'Not until I am about to join Heero on the other side...'_ He clutched at the gaping, aching hole in his chest—at least, it felt like there was a hole. Without Heero, his other half was gone. And he wouldn't be complete until he was in Heero's arms again...

Once he was done getting ready, Duo stopped by Une's office, a thought having come to his mind. Just to give her a little guilt trip...

Sticking his head in her office, he said, his tone dark, "You know, if you had let me go on this mission in the first place, this probably never would've happened."

Une looked at him in shock before frowning. He was right... and it wasn't like she could say she would've lost two agents to that mission instead, because Duo was going to kill himself anyways...

Doing his best to lock out any emotions except for anger and hate, Duo made his way to the hangar. He was leaving as soon as the ground control had a jet and a pilot for him.

Apparently, no body else knew about Heero's death. Because, when Duo climbed into the cockpit with the pilot and co-pilot—it just so happened to be the same guys that took Heero to his place of death—the pilot asked him if he was going to help Heero out on his mission. The two pilots knew Heero and Duo were lovers... as did everybody else in Preventers.

"No," Duo said, voice hard and pessimistic. "I'm going to _finish_ Heero's mission."

"Huh...?" asked the co-pilot, confused. But then he got it, "Oh... I'm so sorry, sir..."

"Save it for the funeral," grunted Duo, crossing his arms and looking away, "_Both_ of our funerals..."

The flight was silent after that. Duo spent most of the time reading over the mission file that Une had given him. The mission seemed simple enough... so why had Heero gotten caught? There had to be something else going on that they didn't know about. Maybe the place was heavily guarded? Booby-trapped? Extremely high tech security? Or maybe it was just something cliché, like he hadn't been paying attention and ran right into trouble? No, that didn't sound like Heero...

Duo shook his head, clearing his mind of thoughts of Heero. He looked out the window to see that it was getting dark. "We near the drop-zone yet?" he asked.

"Almost, sir; probably another half hour. You should go get ready soon," said the pilot with a nod.

Not bothering to reply, Duo stood and headed to the back of the jet. He took everything he would need from his pack and attached what he could to his belt; he made sure he had plenty of ammo for the two big guns he was taking, as well as for the small service pistol that had been put back in his hip holster. Once Duo was sure everything was in order, he secured a parachute to himself and went to check how much longer till they reached the drop-zone.

"About five minutes, sir."

"That's close enough for me. I'm going now," stated Duo, ignoring the pilot and co-pilot's protests.

He went and slung the two guns over his shoulders, made sure everything was secured to his belt and pulled open the hatch of the plane. He didn't have to worry about closing it, knowing the co-pilot would probably be ordered to do so.

Taking a deep breath, Duo practically threw himself out of the jet. He enjoyed the sense of free-falling into the darkness for as long as he could, finally pulling his parachute at the last possible moment.

Duo's parachute caught in the trees at the very edge of a small clearing—he had _nearly_ made a good landing, too—and so he was left hanging about ten feet from the ground. Uttering a silent cussword or two, he reached for the combat knife in the sheath at his thigh. He knew better than to try to get out of the parachute's harness while he was still hanging there. The cords and ropes snapped with a quick lash of the small, yet sharp blade, and Duo had his feet on the ground in moments.

Leaving the harness and other bits of the parachute behind, Duo took off into the forest. Pulling out an old-fashioned compass and a tiny flashlight, he checked to make sure he was heading in the right direction. According to the mission file, it was almost a three day hike to the rebel base; Duo intended to make it there before sunrise tomorrow night.

If this was going to be his last mission, Duo was going to give it one hundred-fifty percent. He'd be going out with a BANG, dragging Heero's killers to Hell with him...

* * *

**so, duo's more pissed than depressed. at least, he'd rather be pissed than depressed XD **

**tell me what you thought...**

**new chapter tomorrow, yadda yadda yadda... **

**-Shinigami out**


	3. Shinigami

**well, here ya go! **

**i think this is where it starts getting good, soooooo enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 3

Shinigami

"I'll avenge you soon, Heero, my love," whispered Duo as he took a moment to stop and get his bearings.

He could hardly see a thing in the pitch black night. Not to mention, Duo felt almost paranoid, as if the enemy was about to jump out at him from any moment. Maybe he was just a little on edge... or maybe he really was being followed. He didn't know. And there wasn't any time to sit around and find out. The sooner Duo completed his mission, the sooner he could be reunited with Heero on the other side.

Duo took off into the forest again, his heavy black combat boots thudding on the dead leaves and dirt as he ran. His golden cross necklace—which had somehow made it out of the safe confines of his shirt—bounced against his chest with every step, threatening to break off its chain. His braid—which was even longer now than it had been during the war—billowed out behind him, swishing in the air with every turn he made.

Duo banished all thoughts of Heero that began to form up in his despondent mind. He couldn't let his emotions ruin him on a mission like this... Because if _Heero_ had screwed up, that mean Duo surely would too if he didn't give it his all. So, he focused on the even sound of his breathing as he ran, focused on the steady sound of his own footfalls on the decaying earth below, focused on the hate and anger about the fact that Heero was gone—he let those feelings consume him, knowing all too well how rage was a source of unknown strength. He couldn't let his guard down... not now, not ever—not until his mission was complete.

Duo didn't stop again until the first rays of morning sunlight reached the forest floor.

He let himself slow to a fast walk, finally realizing how sore his legs were from all that running. He caught his breath; quick puffs of air billowing out from his mouth and nose into the cold morning air. He looked around, trying to notice any signs that Heero had been here—he knew there wouldn't be any; Heero would never leave behind anything that the enemy could use to track him.

Duo took out his compass again, checked his direction, then shoved the little thing back in the pack on his belt.

The early morning sunlight was filtering through the trees brightly now, painting the forest floor with patches of gold and white. It would've been beautiful, except for the fact that a rebel base was lurking somewhere nearby, hiding in the shadows of the forest...

Still walking quickly, Duo reached into his belt-bag and pulled out some water. He drank a little bit then was running again, determined to make it to his destination as soon as possible. Because the sooner he completed his mission, the sooner he could be with Heero again.

. . .

Duo came to a stop, falling back against a tree. He willed his breathing to slow and his body to calm. It was late afternoon now, only a few hours left before darkness fell and the icy chill of night returned.

During all the time he had spent running, Duo was devising a plan. He had temporarily pushed away the anger to let himself think rationally. And he came to the conclusion that he indeed needed to slow his pace. Because, if he was to arrive at the base by the next sunrise, not only would surely be exhausted from the trek there, but he wouldn't have the unseeing cover of night on his side.

So, as the air began to grow chilly again, Duo hiked through the forest at a quick pace. He wanted to get there soon, but not too soon. He just needed enough time to rest and prepare before he actually infiltrated the base...

Thoughts of Heero struck Duo's mind. He hadn't realized that he had let down his mental guard, and now he was struggling to keep the tears away. Those images of Heero dead rose to the surface now that he wasn't thinking about his mission. He couldn't help think of the time of when Heero self destructed during the war all those years ago, or all of the other times he nearly lost his lover. But now, it was for real. Back then, everything and everyone had been so caught up in the hatred and fighting and sorrow of war, that it never seemed real... it never seemed like, when something happened, it was true. But now; now that the war was over and the soldiers were forced back into their old lives, death was a terribly real thing. Death was—

Duo came to a very abrupt halt, doubling over and clutching his head. "No...!" he growled silently. He throttled all thoughts of Heero and everything that would hinder him on his mission. He couldn't let his emotions control him; not ones of sorrow, at least.

Duo rose to his full height, his body tensed, and his mouth opened in a silent cry of despair. He fought it when his knees threatened to buckle and forced himself to continue on his way. He called on the soldier locked inside of him, bringing up the cold killer from deep within. That part of him didn't feel sorrow anymore; that was the part of him that had risen up through all the terror and sadness of his past and got revenge for it all... the part of him that had gotten revenge for all the people close to him that had died...

He let himself become Shinigami once again. He let himself become cold and emotionless. He let himself become consumed by the desire to get revenge. He let himself become nothing more than a killer determined to succeed on his final mission.

. . .

The sun had long since set and the night was cold and dark. Clouds blew in with the strong winds and a light rain began to fall, slowly dripping down onto the forest floor.

Duo didn't care, didn't feel as the water soaked his clothes, soaked his hair. It wasn't enough to hinder his mission, so he didn't stop and find shelter. He just continued to make his way through the darkness, gun in hand. He was getting close to enemy territory now, and he couldn't let his guard down for even a moment.

The crack of a gunshot.

That sent Duo skidding to a halt, hiding himself behind the nearest tree. He could hear them; hear the enemy slowly approaching his position. It was dark, and he wasn't sure who had the upper hand. He wasn't sure how many of them there were.

"Show yourself!" came the cry of a man not too far away.

Duo remained hidden, silent, listening intently for any other sounds to help him pinpoint the enemy in the complete darkness. But the rainfall had strengthened, deafening the sounds of footsteps.

Violet eyes wide and dilated, unable to see in the black night, Duo remained hidden. If the enemy couldn't see him, couldn't hear him, maybe they wouldn't find him. Maybe he wouldn't have to fight now... Maybe he wouldn't get caught.

"Come out, now! Show yourself, or we shoot!" 'We' huh? So that meant there were at least two of them; probably more though.

Duo stayed hidden, breathing as quietly as he could, willing himself to blend in with the audible silence of rain.

But whoever had found him had a flashlight. They were shining it around, searching for him. Duo scooted as far as he could away from the light, keeping his back against the tree. They were behind him to the right a little ways...

'_Crap.'_

But then a thought struck him like the obvious brick that it was. He could see where they were now! Whether they knew it or not, he had the upper hand. He had the element of surprise. The enemy didn't know that it was only him, only one man. They didn't know who they were up against. They didn't know that they were about to die at the hands of Shinigami...

Still keeping quiet, Duo turned to face the tree, then edged around it to the right, coming up behind them a bit. He peeked around the tree trunk when the beam of the flashlight was in another direction. There they were. Right there. He could just make out seven silhouettes. He readied his gun. He'd only get one shot at this...

_BANG! _

One, no two men fell, alerting the others to the attack.

Duo was back behind the tree in an instant, hiding from the cold white beam of the flashlight. The men were shouting now, calling for reinforcements. There wasn't much time. He needed to finish these guys off and get the hell out of there. He needed to get far enough away that he would be safe. But then, he managed to make sense of what one of the men was yelling into his comm. link...

"They've sent more of them! No doubt a whole squad this time! They must've heard about that first brat they sent and needed someone to finish the job!"

That sent Duo spiraling over the edge. The thin, flimsy cord that was keeping his emotions in check snapped as those words reached his ears. They knew about Heero. They knew he was dead. They had killed him.

Screeching in rage, Duo burst from the shadows and into the blinding light of the flashlight. He shot them all down, using far more bullets than necessary. The quick firefight was over in only minutes, the enemy barely even managing to defend themselves. Duo was so consumed by anger, that he hadn't even tried to dodge their shots. A moment later, the flashlight clattered to the ground, dripping with the blood that had splattered onto it.

The heavy stench of blood was all that was left as Duo took off into the woods again. He had to get away... he had to find safety. There wasn't much time, now. The forest would surely be crawling with rebels... and he was clearly outnumbered.

Duo hadn't even noticed that he was hit. He couldn't even feel the bullet grazes in his arms over the rage coursing through his body. He hadn't actually gotten bullets in him, thanks to the Kevlar vest he wore, but he definitely had some nasty gashes littering his arms. He'd need to bandage them soon... given; he got the chance to stop his running.

Duo was in enemy territory now.

* * *

**ouhoo. duo's gonna give those big meanies what for! XDD **

**anyways, next chapter tomorrow... cant wait to post chapter 6... that one's the best :D**

**well, off to go kill the Black Knight in fire emblem! :D**

**-Shinigami out.**


	4. Hidden

**so here ya go! oh, and when i said that i couldnt wait to post ch 6? i meant ch 5. ch 5 is the awesome one. XD**

**well i hope you guys like this one... even though i think its a bit shorter than yesterdays...**

* * *

Chapter 4

Hidden

Duo ran and ran and ran. He had to get away. It was only a matter of time before they found him. He couldn't let himself be caught. He had a mission to finish and a lover to avenge. He _could not_ fail.

Even though he was running for a place to hide, Duo made sure that he was staying near the rebel facility. He intended to make his way all the way around; they wouldn't expect him to be there. And they wouldn't expect him to move so quickly, either.

Heavy raindrops splashed onto his face with every step. His boots thudded against the ground nearly as quick as his heart pounded against his ribcage. But he willed himself to run faster, not caring about the consequences. He'd deal with his sore body and exhaustion later. Later, when he was safe and he actually had a moment to rest.

The rain was like ice, chilling Duo to the bone. He didn't really feel it, didn't feel it as his breath billowed out as mist through his mouth. He was just so numb to everything; numb to his physical feelings, numb to his emotions. And he wanted to keep it that way. He couldn't let thoughts of Heero take him over; not when he wasn't somewhere safe.

Time passed. Duo kept running. His body had forced him to slow his pace somewhat, but he would not stop. Now that the rain had lessened slightly, he could hear distant shouts in the darkness; he could hear them coming for him. They were far enough that he could get away, but they were still close enough that they could catch him. But it was dark still. And they would have trouble finding him in the black of night.

The sun would be rising in a few hours. He'd have to find somewhere to hide by then.

. . .

Yet again, the sun's first rays were making their way down to the forest floor. But it was still cloudy and slightly raining, so there wasn't really enough light to see.

Duo nearly ran right into a large fallen tree. He had been doing that a lot as his senses grew more and more fatigued, but this time, it seemed somewhat different. He let himself stop, to investigate a little bit... Perfect! This tree had obviously fallen a long time ago, because it was almost completely hollowed out. There was a break in the outer bark, and it looked as if it had once been used as shelter by an animal; but it was abandoned now.

Duo crawled inside, barely able to hold himself up any longer. It was a relief to finally be out of the icy rain. He was so exhausted, his muscles so sore, his body so cold... darkness took him in an instant.

But it was okay, because Duo _had_ found somewhere safe. Not only that, but he had been right; the rebels ended up not bothering to search the entire area surrounding their base. It wasn't that they didn't care, just the higher ups preferred to have all their men in one place; to have all their men—which really wasn't that many—guarding one small facility.

When Duo awoke, it was to the pain of his own sore body and his wounds from the firefight early the night before. He sat up—careful not to hit his head—and noticed the cuts on his arms for the first time; as well as felt the bruises on his torso where bullets had hit the Kevlar. Reaching into the bag at his belt, Duo pulled out a small roll of gauze. It'd be just enough to bandage his wounds. His clothes were still wet with rain.

Once that was taken care of, he peeked out into the morning. Water was still falling heavily from the sky. Duo figured it was midmorning, but it was hard to tell with the thick, dark cloud cover above.

Retreating back into the dry darkness of his little shelter, Duo let himself relax, holding his gun against his chest. He took a moment to reload it. However, it wasn't long until his exhaustion took over again. This time, he slept restlessly, his mind plagued by nightmares. Nightmares of Heero.

. . .

Duo awoke with a start, his worn body trembling. He had been dreaming of Heero's death. His mind's eye had conjured up an image of his lover, collapsed on the muddy ground in a pool of blood; lifeless cobalt eyes still open in shock and pain.

Duo clutched at the empty hole in his chest again. He couldn't fight back his sorrow any longer. He would eventually manage to get his emotions under control again; but for now, tears streamed from his eyes and silent sobs wracked his cold body. Heero was gone. He was never coming back. Never ever. He'd never be there to hold Duo in his arms again, to promise him that it was all gonna be okay, to kiss him on the cheek and tell him that he loved him. Heero was dead.

. . .

Night fell. Duo had already left his makeshift shelter a little while ago, intending to get to the rebel facility not long after it got dark.

The day had taken far too long to pass, but Duo was somewhat rested and his sorrow-filled emotions were locked away again. He forced himself to think about what that rebel had said earlier, how he knew that Heero was dead. He forced himself to become consumed by anger, to let rage fuel his body.

Thankfully, the rain had stopped. Duo's clothes were still a bit damp, making him shiver in the cold darkness, but he didn't let it bother him. He had a mission to accomplish. He couldn't let himself be distracted.

It wasn't long until Duo reached the tall chain link fence surrounding the rebel base. The fence was topped with dangerous-looking barbed wire; a tell-tale sign to keep out, that something bad is going on, on the other side... But though it may serve as a visual warning, a simple fence was nothing to the likes of Shinigami.

Now all Duo had to do was get in and get that weapon data then blow the place to hell. He hadn't bothered with bringing any bombs, since he was sure that the enemy would have their own supply. Anyone threatening to build a weapon like they were, surely would have their own arsenal... or at least _something_ that could be used as an explosive.

So all that was left, was Shinigami's revenge.

"I'm going to avenge you, Heero..."

* * *

**ohhh duo's gonna get revenge! yay for revenge! XD**

**well, i shall post the next chapter tomorrow. and i'll warn you guys now cuz i dont wanna get any lip-ch 5 is short, but its flippin amazing. XD**

**so please please please review! **

**-Shinigami out.**


	5. Back From the Dead

**here it is! the best chapter! heheheee **

**enjoy :D**

**and i told you it was short... **

* * *

Chapter 5

Back From the Dead

Preventers HQ – Two days after Duo left – Morning...

"_Ma'am, I have just received a request for permission to land from an unidentified shuttle. The pilot sounded injured. Shall I let them in?"_ asked the head of ground control down at the Preventers aircraft hangar.

Une tapped her chin with her finger for a moment, "Yes, but wait until I send some agents down there in case they are hostiles."

"_Yes ma'am."_

Commander Une paged several other Preventer agents, including Sally. If the pilot was indeed hurt, she'd need to be there. Une then made her way to the aircraft hangar. She needed to get up and stretch her legs, and observing the arrival of this unidentified shuttle was a perfect excuse to leave her office for a few minutes.

Sally caught up to Une a few moments later—the medical wing was rather close to the aircraft hangar, for obvious reasons—as the two walked down the halls.

"Any idea who it is?" asked Sally.

"I don't know," replied Une.

When the two made it to the hangar, the shuttle was already pulling in. It was a small craft, really, probably only big enough to fit a few people. There were no symbols on its sides or front to alert them to who it belonged to—it was simply littered with bullet holes, as if it had been stolen during a firefight.

The shuttle came to a perfect stop in the hangar, as if the pilot was an expert at doing so...

Armed Preventer agents gathered around the shuttle, careful to keep their distance, but close enough to take down whoever was inside. They didn't have the slightest clue if this person—and whoever else was inside—wanted them all dead, or if the person meant no harm.

A moment later, the hatch opened and a lone figure stumbled out, nearly collapsing. He obviously really was hurt; and he obviously wasn't a threat, as well. But he hadn't made his way out of the shadow of the shuttle yet, so it was nearly impossible for Une and Sally to see his face. They made their way over to him.

"State your name and your intentions," demanded Une, squinting at the silhouetted figure.

The man staggered out into the light, his head bent slightly, his chocolate brown hair veiling cobalt eyes...

"Where's... Duo...?" he asked weakly before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

**he lives!**

**bet you guys werent expecting THAT! :D**

**well, until tommorrow!**


	6. Rescue You

**the plot thickens...**

**but yesh, heero is alive. and he's gonna be pissed... XD hee-chan's still kinda screwed up though... well, you'll see :D**

**oh, and we're about halfway through the fic here. there's only like 5 more chapters after this one XD**

**and thanks for the *looks real quick* 3 reviews last chapter... and all the hits X3**

* * *

Chapter 6

Rescue You

The sound of worried and confused chatter brought him back to his senses. He sat up slowly, finding that his tattered shirt and bulletproof vest were gone, replaced by a thin layer of bandages. His chest had been heavily bruised, and there were a few other non-life-threatening gashes and gunshot wounds littering his body. He was still terribly exhausted.

"H-Heero! Lie down! You're still hurt..." Sally, upon noticing that he was awake, quickly went to his side.

"No," Heero growled, voice even, "Where's Duo? Why isn't he here?"

Sally didn't reply to that, nor did Une, who was standing near the doorway.

"Lie down Heero, I don't want to have to make you," ordered Sally, staring at Heero smugly.

"Follow your orders, Yuy. Even if you're supposed to be dead, you still have to do as you're told," that was Une. She didn't seem to be able to meet his piercing cobalt gaze...

"...Dead?" asked Heero, confused as he lay back on the cot.

Une tried to explain, "You were missing for over a week, under the circumstances of your mission, it was logical to assume that—"

"You told Duo I was dead?" cried Heero, jumping to his feet to glare at Une in pure fury. "He's surely committed suicide by now!"

Nobody tired to push Heero down this time. They knew he was far too angry to be stopped. Even after all these years, deep down—even if it wasn't so evident anymore—he was still the mercilessly trained 'Perfect Soldier' with his hair-triggered violent responses. He was still one of the most dangerous men alive.

"He hasn't, I can assure you that! Not yet, at least," defended Une as Heero stalked towards her, looking more and more dangerous by the moment. He cared about Duo more than anything; so if his lover had lost his life to a lie, then _everyone_ responsible was going to pay with their own lives. Everyone, including Heero himself.

"What are you talking about," he demanded, glaring daggers at her.

Une stood tall, glaring right back. Something told her that Heero wouldn't hurt her... yet. "I sent him to finish your mission. He was suicidal, so obviously if he took on a mission as dangerous as that, he wouldn't be bound by the fear of death. I told him that as soon as he returned with the data on the rebel's weapon, he was free to take his own life if he wanted."

"And what are his chances of success? Did you even think of that? Not only is he suicidal, but his mind is obscured by depression; there's no way he can come up with an effective mission strategy!" screeched Heero. But then his voice got deadly serious, explaining, "The reason I failed my mission was because he made me swear to ditch that mission if I didn't think I could make it back safely. I was captured when I tried to escape with the data—they destroyed everything, my transmitter, my weapons, even their own data—then they locked me up for god knows how long until I finally escaped and made it out of there."

Une and Sally were speechless. Heero then pushed right past them. "I'm going to find him. Don't you dare even try to stop me," he growled. Somewhere, Heero knew all too well that this little stunt could very well cost him his job, but he didn't care. And he also knew that Une wouldn't fire him in the end, because not only had he lived when she had declared him dead, but he was saving the life of another of her highest ranking agents. Heero and Duo were just too valuable to her, and she'd be indebted to Heero for saving Duo's life...

Heero didn't care that he was hurt or that he was still on the verge of collapse. His need to rescue Duo was more than enough to keep his body functioning. All that mattered to him now was getting Duo back in his arms, alive. And Heero would not fail. He couldn't...

. . .

Back in a jet taking him to the drop-zone _again,_ Heero sat in the chair, head in hands. He couldn't believe that all this was happening. If he had just been a little more careful, or insisted that Duo had come with him on the mission in the first place, then none of it probably would be happening.

Une had told him everything that she knew—how Duo had reacted to the news, how he had acted more angry than mournful, when he left...

Shaking his head to clear it of those thoughts, Heero got the attention of the pilot and co-pilot. He didn't bother asking politely, knowing that with his rankings, he could be as rude as he wanted to be and get away with it. "I need you to drop me as close to the enemy base as you can without endangering yourselves. And don't bother finding any clearings or proper drop-zones."

"Yes sir," nodded the pilot. It was not the same pilot and co-pilot as the pair that had first taken Heero and Duo to their mission destination, which was probably a good thing...

Heero directed his attention back to the floor. It was going to be at least another three hours till he got there; and he was still so tired... He really should try to stay awake and devise a strategy, but...

. . .

"Sir? ...Wake up, sir. We're almost there," said the co-pilot, his voice pulling Heero up from the depths of oblivion.

Heero remained silent, his eyes opening slowly. He felt slightly more rested now—if not terribly groggy—but not really enough. He'd probably be running completely on an adrenaline high in a few hours or so... But that didn't really matter to him; as long as he rescued Duo, it was okay.

Still not saying a word, Heero went to go get his things together. He hooked several grenades to his belt, slung his gun over his shoulder, made sure he still had that little med-kit in his belt-pack...

Heero felt a slight sensation of déjà vu as he strapped on his parachute. It was just like when he started this horrible mission all those days ago—he honestly didn't know how long he had been gone.

It wasn't long until the pilots gave the okay for Heero to leave. He leapt out of the plane—much like Duo had—and pulled his parachute when he was still a good ways up. He took that time to observe how close he was to the enemy base, as well as get his bearings straight. Heero was actually lucky enough to find a small clearing to land in, and he detached himself from his parachute as fast as he could. He took off in the direction of the rebel facility.

"I'm coming to rescue you, Duo..."

* * *

**ouhoooo! you better hurry heero! **

**so? what ya think? gonna review? please do XD**

**until tomorrow, then...**


	7. Found You

**here we go! ohhh you better hurry heero! cant let duo die! **

***mwuahahaa***

* * *

Chapter 7

Found You

Heero made his way through the dense forest as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn't recognize this area—they must've dropped him on the other side of the rebel facility. But that didn't matter. He just had to get to Duo and stop him before it was too late... he couldn't let Duo die!

Heero didn't know where to find his lover—was he still out in the forest or was he already behind enemy lines? He'd figure it out eventually, but he had to find Duo before it was too late.

These thoughts of Duo caused Heero's heart rate to pick up, caused his body to start pumping adrenaline through his veins. He _had _to stop Duo. He couldn't let his own worn out body fail him now, not when he needed to be stronger than ever... not when Duo needed him _more_ than ever.

The sun was close to setting—only about and hour or so left of daylight—when Heero slowed down to get his bearings. He looked around the small area where he was. There were trees everywhere, as to be expected; but there was one large, fallen tree. It looked as if it had been hollowed out over the years, and something told Heero to check it out...

Stepping over to the hollow tree, Heero stuck his head inside the hole near the base. He crawled inside a bit, and two different scents hit his nose. One was a woody foresty smell, obviously; while the other was the faint scent of blood...

A slight fear took over as Heero hurried to pull out his flashlight. He shined it around the inside of the hollowed tree, and sure enough, there were a few small pools of blood staining the wood. It looked relatively fresh... Heero crawled inside more, running his gloved fingers over the dried blood. Deep down, he knew whose blood this was.

"Oh Duo..."

His lover was hurt. Not gravely, by the looks of how much blood had been spilt, but still... Duo had gotten injured before he even reached the rebel base. That didn't bode well for when he finally got there.

Heero was on his way again, making his way towards the enemy facility. He had to hurry.

Though his body ached and threatened to give out, Heero kept his focus, willing himself to keep going. He could feel his heart pounding with the adrenaline rush; his worry and need to get to Duo were more than enough to will himself to continue on.

Night had long since fallen by the time Heero reached the tall fence guarding the rebel base. Feeling his way around in the dark, he eventually found a good size hole cut into the chain link. This must've been where Duo went in through...

It was easy enough to get into the building once Heero crossed the large open space surrounding it. But it was only easy because Duo had clearly already come through here. There was the occasional dead, bloodied body on the ground and destroyed, sparking video cameras on the walls. Heero had already memorized the layout of this place from the first time he was here, so he knew exactly where Duo would be headed.

However, as Heero ran down the many brightly lit halls in search of his lover, he saw an all-too-familiar figure bolt out from around a corner, his long chestnut braid swishing out behind him...

Heero only managed to get one word past his lips, "Duo!"

. . .

Duo hurried across the dirt and dying grass towards the large rebel facility. He could see a doorway on this side of the building—a perfect way to get in. Careful not to be seen by the security cam until he got the chance to shoot it down, he came to a stop just outside of its view. Already having screwed a silencer onto his service pistol, he aimed and took out the camera in one shot.

Next was getting through the doorway. And what luck! There was a small keypad on the wall next to the lock. Better yet—this was the kind that Duo was best at hacking. He was inside in moments.

Duo raced down the halls, taking out all the guards and security cams that he came across—not that there were many. He had no clue where he was going, only he knew where he needed to be. But where was it? He had to find the main control room of the place, find the main computer. From there, he'd be able to get all the information he needed. Then he could blow the place, take the data to Une, then join Heero on the other side. He couldn't wait to be in Heero's arms again, even if they were both dead.

No! Don't think about Heero now! Don't get distracted! Duo forced his mind to dwell on darker thoughts—thoughts of his rage towards these rebels for what they had done. He forced himself to think of his mission, to make sure he exploited every chance he got to show off. If Duo was indeed going to die after this, he wanted to be remembered—at least for a little while—for something other than being a Gundam pilot. He wanted to be remembered for how brutally he eradicated the enemy in his last mission. He wanted them to know that Shinigami had indeed had his last stand before he was sent to Hell. He wanted something to cover up the tragic reasons for his death... his suicide.

Duo searched and searched and searched. And his effort eventually paid off. Deep within the rebel facility, he found the main control room. There were a few men inside—not soldiers, probably the scientists building that super-weapon—and he took them down in an instant. Grabbing the flash-drive from his pocket and holding it in between his teeth as he began to type away, Duo hacked into the computer system. The firewalls and password requests weren't too hard to bypass—he'd faced worse in much more dire situations—and he soon had access to all the data he needed.

Jamming the flash-drive into the computer, Duo copied all the information into it, then uploaded a small file and program that had already been on the memory stick. After pulling out his flash-drive so it wouldn't be affected, he opened the program, using it to read the file. The virus written in the file was spread throughout the computer system in only moments. The hard drive crashed and the screen went black. Everything was corrupted, lost.

With his work here done, Duo took off into the halls again. Now to blow the place. It was almost the end. It wouldn't be long now until he was free to take his own life, and join Heero on the other side...

"Duo!"

Duo stopped dead, turning on his heel in an instant, ready to shoot down whoever had come up behind him. His eyes went wide in shock, his gun falling from his hands. There was an all-too-familiar figure standing there... with his chocolate brown hair and his cobalt blue eyes. It was Heero. His skin was so pale—Duo knew he was seeing a ghost.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!"

* * *

**gasp! duo thinks its too good to be true! he doesnt believe heero is alive! how sad... XD**

**well, tomorrow's chapter is actually quite long... well compared to these XD but you'll just have to wait and see! :3**

**and as for new stuff, i kinda havent been in a writing mood for the past few days... but we'll see how it goes :D**

**-Shinigami out.**


	8. Escape

**well, here we go! sorry for teh late update... me and quatre (me and heero's friend XD) were hangin out all day **

**so yesh, heero found duo, but duo thinks he's seein a ghost! how tragic!**

* * *

Chapter 8

Escape

"_Duo!"_

_He whirled around in shock, his gun falling from his hands and clattering onto the floor. He stared at Heero, disbelieving. He had to be a ghost... this was just too good to be true._

_Heero stared back, speechless, so glad that he had made it to his lover in time. Duo was still alive._

"_You've _got_ to be kidding me!"_

The sound of Duo's voice—angry, as if he didn't want to see what was before his eyes—brought words back to Heero's lips.

"Duo, pick up you're weapon! We're not safe here!" Heero began walking towards Duo quickly, who was still standing there, paralyzed by shock and disbelief.

And, as if on cue, shouts began to echo through the halls. The enemy was closing in on them; there was no time to get away. They would have to stay and fight.

Heero finally came up to Duo, shaking his lover's shoulders. "Duo, get a hold of yourself!" Time was running out. Heero bent down to pick up Duo's gun, forcing it into the other's hands.

"Y-you're back..." stuttered Duo.

"We'll discuss that later. I need you to help me, Duo! We need to fight!"

I Need You.

Help.

Fight.

Duo was suddenly aware of himself again. He was suddenly serious; suddenly ready to fight. He locked away all memories of the recent tragedy, and let it just be Heero and Duo again. Just the two of them, fighting back to back, slaughtering the enemy like back in the days of the war... even if Heero was just a ghost... even if Duo was still alone...

The rebel forces came at them from two directions—the way Duo had come and where he had been headed—leaving only one way of escape. There were a lot of them, almost too much for Heero and Duo alone. But they fought anyways, shot down as many men as they could. Of course, the rebels shot at them too, but with the way the two Preventer agents were darting around the small space, almost none of their bullets made contact. Inevitably, both Heero and Duo received a few grazes and whatnot, but most of the wounds and casualties were on the enemy side. _Most_ of the wounds...

Out of the corner of his eye, Duo saw a rebel edging around to the back. He was aiming his gun at Heero, who had his back turned on that end of the hallway... Duo couldn't let this happen.

"Heero! No! Look out!" screeched Duo as he threw himself into harm's way, shielding his lover. Even if his mind still thought that Heero wasn't really there, that he was just a ghost; Duo had to protect him... The bullet hit a moment later, burrowing itself an inch or so below the right side of his collar bone, but close enough to his arm that it had missed his Kevlar vest—it was a lucky shot, completely missing his ribcage. But that rebel had been aiming for Heero's heart...

Duo fell back against Heero, uttering a small noise of pain. Heero, who had already spun around in surprise, wrapped an arm around his lover's waist, keeping him upright. He took down the enemy without hesitation, freeing the way for their escape. And, despite the fact that there were still several rebels left alive, Heero took off down the hall, pulling Duo along with him. However, before Heero was too far, he took a grenade from his belt, pulled the pin with his teeth, and tossed it over his shoulder at the remains of the rebel forces.

The concussive force of the explosion sent Heero and Duo to the floor, nearly knocking them _both_ out. Heero, whose body was no longer fueled by adrenaline, blacked out for a few moments as he and his partner lie on the ground. Duo had managed to stay conscious, but he did not rise just yet. He clutched at the wound in his shoulder, his face slightly contorted in pain.

A moment later, however, before Heero had risen from the darkness, Duo managed to push himself up a bit. He stared at Heero in confusion for a split second before realizing what had happened. A terrible fear replaced that confusion. He shook his lover's shoulder, scared that he would not wake. And he had just gotten Heero back, even if he wasn't really there... "Heero...! Wake up! Please...!" he begged.

With a near inaudible groan, Heero slowly opened his eyes. But then the sense of urgency returned and he was up in a moment, pulling Duo to his feet as well. "Are you alright? Did that bullet—?"

Duo cut Heero off, "I'm fine. I don't think it hit anything, so I'll be okay for now. But Heero... are _you_ alright? Are you really alive...?" he asked they began running again, hand in hand.

"I am," was all Heero said, answering both of Duo's questions to some degree.

The two Preventer agents ran down the halls as fast as they could. Now that Duo had the data on that weapon, all that was left was to destroy the place... but not just yet.

Coming across a rather dark hallway, Heero and Duo hurried down it. They came to a stop not too far from where they had come in, but still far enough that they were slightly hidden by the shadows. The both of them collapsed to their knees on the floor, and before Heero could even react, Duo had enveloped him in a hug.

"I'm so glad you're back!" he sobbed into Heero's chest, making sure to keep his voice quiet. Duo could feel tears streaming from his eyes—Heero was back from the dead. He felt so real, so warm. He even smelled just like Heero—it was like he had never died. It felt so real, that Duo could almost believe that it really _was_ Heero in his arms; that he wasn't just hallucinating. "I'm so glad... even if you are just a ghost..."

"A ghost...? Duo, I'm here. I'm real. I didn't die," said Heero, forcing the other to look him in the eye.

"You didn't? But..." Duo's body was trembling, his cheeks wet with tears. But Heero really _had_ died, right? That's why Duo was on this mission, that's why he was going to commit suicide as soon as he got the chance. But maybe, since Heero's ghost was here, Duo could stay in this world a bit longer. As long as Heero was with him... even if he wasn't real...

Heero grabbed Duo's hand, pressing it to the side of his face. "If I was a ghost, would you be able to touch me? Would you be able to feel me under your fingertips? Duo, I'm real. I didn't die," insisted Heero. "If I was a ghost, would you be able to kiss me?"

"I... I don't know..." mumbled Duo, averting his gaze. But then, he looked up into Heero's cobalt eyes. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to the other's. Heero's arms wrapped over Duo's shoulders, and Duo's went around Heero's waist. They broke off the kiss rather soon as Heero pressed a hand to the bloodied gunshot wound in Duo's shoulder.

"I need to bandage this..." muttered Heero, his tone indifferent, still not sure if Duo believed he was there or not. He pulled out the tiny med-kit in his belt-bag and got to work wrapping up the wound. Thankfully, there was not only a hole from where the bullet went in, but there was an exit-wound as well—the bullet must've stopped when it hit Heero's Kevlar vest.

"You really are alive..." whispered Duo around a wince—he was starting to feel lightheaded from blood loss. He was so glad that Heero wasn't a ghost. He was so glad that he was real. He was so glad that he could be in his lover's arms again. He was so glad...

"I told you so," smiled Heero as he pulled Duo to his feet. "C'mon, we need to get out of here before they find us."

And they took off into the halls again. Heero, having already been here once, had a good idea of where the rebel's weapon arsenal was. Thankfully, they didn't run into many guards—they all must've been sent to take the two Preventer agents down at once, back there. And the ones that were left went down without much effort. But still, Duo was wounded and Heero was on the verge of collapse. They didn't have much fighting strength left, so this mission had to come to an end very soon.

"Wait," Heero said, pulling Duo to a stop.

"What is it?" Duo asked, still holding the other's hand tightly.

Heero looked around to make sure that they were still hidden, "It's a three day hike back to the drop-zone, right? We'll need to steal some supplies before we blow this place up."

"Yeah. Any idea where they keep food and stuff?" asked Duo, glancing around as well for a moment, before he looked up at Heero.

"Think so..." said Heero, pulling Duo down the halls again.

Soon enough, they came across the supply room. After digging around for a moment, Duo found a bag and Heero tossed in several bottles of water and some packages of food. Heero slung the strap of the bag over his shoulder, then the two Preventer agents took off into the halls again.

When they finally reached the weapons arsenal, Heero and Duo hurried to set up as many explosives as they could. Thankfully, the rebel base actually wasn't that big—it seemed to be some sort of old, renovated warehouse, to be exact—so simply setting all their bombs in one place would probably do the trick. After wiring a few of the C-4 blocks and tossing in anything else that could help with the explosion, the two Preventer agents made a run for it. They had set the bombs with a timer of ten minutes—they had to hurry.

It was relatively easy making their way out—all they had to do was backtrack to avoid the few guards that were still alive. Before they knew it, Heero and Duo were dashing down the last hallway; the exit was in their view. Then they were outside, back in the icy darkness of night. Still hand in hand, the two Preventer agents ran back to the safety of the forest. There wasn't much time left now...

Sheer will power was all that was keeping Heero's legs moving underneath him now. And he knew that the moment he stopped, he would collapse. He had hardly gotten a single chance to rest while he had been captured. The rebels hadn't really beaten him or tortured him like they usually did; they just forced him to stay awake nearly all hours of the day. At first, he was able to handle their torture methods, but as time had gone by, he had grown weaker and weaker and weaker. But he had managed to escape and save Duo, so that was all that mattered.

Duo was having trouble keeping himself going as well. The bullet in his shoulder throbbed with pain in time to the rapid beat of his heart. The wound hadn't bled too much, for that he was grateful, but he had still lost enough blood for it to sap quite a bit of his strength. But more than anything, Duo was scared for Heero's wellbeing. He still had no clue how the other had managed to still be alive, much less get to him in time. However, there was no time to worry about that as the two made their way deeper and deeper into the dark forest.

The explosion shook the ground, filled the air with ash, lit up the black night sky.

Heero and Duo both lost their footing as the forest floor shuddered beneath them. Darkness took Heero in an instant, leaving Duo alone for several moments until he too fell into the depths oblivion...

* * *

**hehe poor heero and duo... :D**

**well, next chapter tomorrow...**

**-Shinigami out.**


	9. To the DropZone

**well, this chapter is deffinetly shorter than the last one... XD but if i had left this one and the next one as one, it woulda been too long... **

**so, heero and duo are back together, and they're finally out of that stinking place XD hehe stinking. **

**well, enjoy. :3**

* * *

Chapter 9

To the Drop-Zone

Cold.

Wet.

Duo and Heero were both shivering as they came to consciousness. Heero awoke quite a bit before the other, his strong body unable to still itself with its uncontrollable trembling. He placed his icy hand on Duo's cheek for a moment, before lifting his lover into his arms and rising to his feet. Even though only a small amount of his strength had returned, Heero was able to carry Duo quite easily—the other was just so light. And so he continued on their long trek through the forest and the rain back to the drop-zone.

"Heero..."

Heero looked down to see that Duo had woken up. He was staring ahead at nothing, his violet eyes dull as his body shivered. It wasn't so much that it was cold outside, but more that the two of them were drenched with rainwater. As luck would have it—bad luck, that is—when the two of them had collapsed the night before, it was right under a small gap in the trees above. This had left them without even a leaf of shelter from the torrents of rain.

"You okay love?" asked Heero, coming to a stop under a tree. He put the other's feet to the ground, holding him as he stood and got his balance.

"Yeah, think so..." nodded Duo, looking up at his lover. His gunshot wound was aching, but it was bearable.

"Good." Heero kissed Duo lightly on the cheek before saying, "Do you have your cell phone or anything of the like...?"

Duo fished around in his pockets for a moment, before pulling out his phone. He was glad he had kept it with him. He handed it to Heero, who flipped it open and checked for a signal.

The signal was faint—only one bar—but still present, so he dialed Preventers HQ and waited for the operator to pick up. He spoke as soon as the phone was answered, not waiting for the girl on the other line to recite her little "How may I direct your call" speech.

"This is Agent Yuy, put me through to Commander Une," he said, purposefully bringing his voice back to that cold, mean, lifeless monotone.

The operator girl didn't even bother asking for his ID code, instantly recognizing his voice. She also knew that—judging by his tone—it would probably be a bad idea to ask him for it. She didn't want him to get angry with her... Heero Yuy was a scary man. She just gave him an emotionless "Yes sir" before pushing the button to send his call to Une's office.

"_Une."_

Heero kept his voice a monotone, sounding even crueler now that it was Une he was talking to. "Have a helicopter crew at the drop-zone in four days."

Une kept her tone just as tight, _"Understood. Was your mission a success?"_

Heero didn't want to discus that right now, "Yes ma'am." And then he hung up. He handed the phone back to Duo. Having unintentionally put himself in a negative mood, Heero wrapped his arm around Duo's back, urging him to start walking. "C'mon, let's go. The sooner we get out of here the better," he said, forcing his tone to be normal.

"Yeah..." said Duo, not really feeling up to a conversation of any kind. They had a long, wet, cold walk ahead of them, and he was not looking forward to it. But still, he had to ask, "Is it really gonna take four days?"

"Hai..."

"But it didn't take me that long to get here..."

"Me neither, but neither of us are in as good shape as we were when we got here, so we're gonna have to take it a bit slower," said Heero, relaxing slightly. He held Duo's cold body a bit closer to him as they walked.

Duo was quiet for a moment, probably thinking it all over, "Well babe, when you're right, you're right..."

And so they continued on the long walk back to the drop-zone. And the rain continued to fall...

. . .

When night fell, it was still raining heavily. Heero and Duo sat huddled at the base of a tree, holding each other to keep warm in the darkness. They were quiet for a long time, neither of them wanting to be the first to start a conversation.

But, after many moments, Heero spoke. "I... I shouldn't have let myself get caught," he said glumly.

Not really knowing what else to say, Duo whispered, "Its okay... you're still alive, so that's all that matters..."

Heero shook his head, "No. I put you through so much heartache... I'm so sorry... If I had just been a little more careful; if I hadn't let them gang up on me..."

"Heero, there's no way you could've changed that. If there were too many of them, you wouldn't have been able to stop them anyways," replied Duo, though his heart wasn't really in it. He could feel himself starting to tear up a bit.

They just sat there for a moment in silence before Duo looked away, staring at the wet, muddy ground. "Heero... It's me who should be saying I'm sorry. Th-the moment I returned from this mission, I was gonna kill myself. I couldn't go on in a world without you..." confessed Duo, absently putting a hand over the aching wound in his shoulder.

Sighing heavily, Heero turned to hug Duo tightly. Duo returned the embrace, closing his eyes to fight off the tears. They just sat there for a while, holding each other. Heero had his hand wrapped in Duo's braid, and Duo was clutching the back of Heero's shirt.

After a while, they finally broke apart. Heero looked into Duo's troubled violet eyes and whispered, "Please... Duo, please promise me, that if I die before you, you won't take your life. I want you to keep on living, even if I'm not there to live with you..."

"Okay... I promise..." said Duo quietly. "...And I want you to do the same."

"I will; promise." Heero leaned in to kiss Duo lightly on the cheek. "Let's try to get some sleep," he said as he pulled away.

And the two of them fell asleep holding each other so close. Day one of their long trek to the drop-zone was over, and they still had many miles to go...

* * *

**awwwwwwww how cute. XD**

**so its taking them a long time to get back, cuz not only are they on the other side of the rebel base and they gotta go around, but they gotta go slow too... and hehe Une is dead meat, ne? XD**

**well, please review and next chapter tomorrow. and then after that, the epilogue... then the end! so sad... XD**

**-Shinigami out.**


	10. Arrival at the DropZone

**well, here ya go guys. sorry for the late update... i almost forgot DX**

**and this is like the last chapter... there's an epilogue after this and that's it.**

**so yeah, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 10

Arrival at the Drop-Zone

Finally, the rain came to a stop. But the sun was still buried by dark clouds as Heero and Duo continued on their way to the drop-zone. By now, it was somewhere near noon, and they had been walking for several hours. Since it was no longer raining, their wet clothes were finally getting a chance to dry—however; the chilly air was doing nothing to help.

Both Preventer agents felt miserable. Their clothes were wet, their bodies were cold and aching, they were depressed beyond belief, and they wanted nothing more than to go _home_. But they both knew that they couldn't—not yet. They had to get to the drop-zone before they could even think about putting all this behind them.

As they walked, Duo kept his hand over his wound, trying to ignore the pain. The injury was really bothering him now; twitching and stinging and burning. He could bear it—that part, he wasn't worried about—just he didn't know if it was going to get infected or if he was going to get sick because of constantly being cold and wet and the strain the wound had put on his body... he just hoped he could make it a few more days—and deep down, where his will to live still burned bright, he knew he would.

Heero didn't bother trying to hide how weary he was. There was nobody besides Duo to see, and Duo would've figured it out on his own anyways... then scolded him for pushing himself. So Heero just kept his head down, focusing on the ground as he walked, his messy chocolate brown hair hanging over his eyes. His hand was loosely holding Duo's—the only contact between them for now. He hadn't managed to recover much more of his strength in the few hours of restless sleep he had gotten last night, but he knew he had to keep going. It was only a few more days' trek anyways; and he was sure—that at some point in his life—he had had to walk much farther in much worse shape. If he had made it back safely then, then there was no excuse for him not to this time.

The day passed without many words between the two Preventer agents. Duo was really too out of it to speak, and Heero was doing his best to keep them headed in the right direction.

The next day was nearly the same; both of them lost in their own thoughts as they made their way back to the drop-zone. Heero, however, decided to disrupt the glum silence. He wanted to somehow cheer Duo up, even a little, so...

"When we get back, I'm going to give Une a piece of my mind."

Duo looked up at him, violet eyes weary.

Heero continued, forcing himself to keep looking forward, even as Duo's grip in his hand tightened, "She should've know better than to declare me dead without any viable proof, don't you think so?" he finally gazed at Duo.

"Yeah..." he said, looking back at the ground, "She shouldn't have done that..."

"You should've seen her face when she saw that I was alive. Looking back, it was actually pretty funny," Heero forced a small laugh, trying to cheer Duo up.

Duo smiled grimly, "I bet that completely ruined her whole day..."

"And when she told me that she sent you on this mission... if you had seen me, you would've laughed. I never knew I could yell so loud... I think I really scared Une too. She looked like I was about to kill her or something," said Heero, smirking at the memory.

"Nice," grinned Duo evilly, his mood finally having lifted somewhat. "And I'm right there with you about givin' her an earful. Since it _is_ her fault that I almost committed suicide. Imagine if you came back to find me dead—not a good thing..."

"Exactly," agreed Heero with a nod. He took out the compass again to make sure they were still headed in the right direction.

Duo took his hand from Heero's, wrapping his arm around his lover's waist and leaning against him slightly, "Love you."

Heero smiled, draping his arm over Duo's shoulder, "I love you too, Duo."

. . .

"So we should only have a few more miles left to go," said Heero on the fourth day of walking.

"Awesome," smiled Duo.

The both of them were in much better moods since yesterday; and now that the mission was almost over, they really couldn't wait to go home. Still quite weary and hurt, Heero and Duo were looking forward to taking _at least_ a week off from work once they got back.

Duo, who was leaning quite heavily on Heero at the moment, sneezed and shivered. "I knew it..." he muttered, wiping his nose.

"What is it babe? You feeling okay?" asked Heero as they walked.

"Yeah," nodded Duo, "Just I think I'm getting sick... being cold and wet for so long, I guess it was inevitable."

Heero put a hand to Duo's forehead, "Well your skin is still cool and your wounds looked alright when I checked them this morning, so it can't be too bad yet. Let me know if you need to take a break, okay? I can carry you if you need me to."

Duo took the hand that was still lingering at his forehead and kissed it. "Kay. But you're still messed up too, so I won't make you carry me," he smirked, "Unless you randomly decide to... well, let's keep this G rated." They both laughed, "But its only gonna be a few more hours, so I'm sure I can make it."

"Alright."

And those last few hours passed rather quickly. The sky looked as if it was about to burst as Heero and Duo got within a mile of the drop-zone. Duo had gotten a little worse, his hurt body finally deciding it wanted a break, but he had still been able to convince Heero that he was alright. And Heero just held onto his lover, letting Duo lean on him as much as he needed.

Just as the drop-zone came into view, the sky finally opened up and let the rain fall yet again. But Duo and Heero didn't care. Because the shuttle was already there waiting for them, and they could finally go home.

"We made it!" cheered Duo as he pulled Heero towards the shuttle, all his fatigues temporarily forgotten.

Heero grinned, hurrying to keep up with his lover as they ran through the rain to the middle of the large clearing.

"What took you guys so long?" joked the pilot of the shuttle—one of the agents on their team.

"Oh, the usual," replied Duo as he and Heero situated themselves in the two passenger seats.

Once the pilot had gone to start up the aircraft, Heero turned to Duo. "Duo are you sure you're okay?" he asked, just before the shuttle's engines came to life and it lifted into the sky.

Duo nodded, suddenly too weary to speak. He rested his head on Heero's shoulder, closing his tired violet eyes. Heero closed his eyes too, leaning against Duo. The both of them were asleep in minutes, lost to restful oblivion the entire flight back to Preventers HQ.

* * *

**so they finally made it... yay. **

**and isnt heero so sweet, trying to cheer duo up? :3**

**well, until tomorrow!**

**-Shinigami out.**


	11. Epilogue: Back Home, Safe

**okay, so here's the epilogue!**

**i dont really care for how i ended this fic, but eh... see for yourself.**

* * *

Epilogue

Back Home, Safe

"Hey, guys, wake up. We're back," said the shuttle pilot, shaking Heero's shoulder.

Cobalt eyes fluttered open as Heero regained his senses. And sure enough, they were finally back in the Preventers aircraft hangar. It was then that he realized that Duo was still asleep, his head leaning on Heero's shoulder and his cheeks pink with a low fever as his body tried to warm up. Heero contemplated waking the other, but decided against it.

So Heero carefully unbuckled his and Duo's seatbelts, then lifted his lover into his arms. Still weary, he struggled with Duo's weight a bit, but not enough that he couldn't carry the other easily. Heero stepped out of the shuttle and made a beeline for the waiting medical team. Une was nowhere in sight—she probably felt too guilty to even be in the same room as Heero and Duo right now.

Sally made a shocked, worried face when she saw Duo asleep in Heero's arms—she must've thought something a lot worse than what it really was.

"Can you look over his wounds? The sooner I get him home, the better," said Heero, gently laying Duo down on one of the stretchers—he didn't stir.

"Of course," nodded Sally. "I'm glad you two made it back in one piece, by the way."

"Yeah..." sighed Heero.

Not long after Sally was done re-bandaging Duo's wounds, did he finally begin to wake up. Heero grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently.

"We... back yet?" asked Duo groggily as he opened his eyes and forced himself up.

"We are indeed. You okay to walk, babe?" questioned Heero as he helped Duo down from the stretcher.

"Yeah," he said, more awake now. "Let's go home, 'Ro."

. . .

Heero and Duo lay in bed holding each other, finally warm, clean and dry.

"Well, that was certainly one for the books," yawned Duo, his cheeks still reddish and warm.

"You got that right," agreed Heero. "I'm just glad it's finally over... and we both made it out alive."

"Yeah, that's the most important part... for sure..." said Duo. He was growing more and more sleepy by the minute—as was Heero. "I'm so glad you didn't die..."

"I'm glad you didn't die either," Heero smiled softly at his lover, then leaned in to kiss him on the lips.

They broke apart a few moments later, breathless. After that, though, sleep was about to take them both. Duo's eyes were already closed, and Heero managed one last blurry gaze at his lover before he was out as well. They both rested peacefully, their bodies finally given a chance to recover. This terrible ordeal was finally over...

OWARI

* * *

**what i meant about not likeing it, is just that i feel like it needs something... like it needs the scene where they blow up at une. what do you guys think? should i write that, or leave it as is? meh.**

**well, thank you guys all so much for reviewing (those of you that actually did). i hope you all enjoyed reading this fic as much as i had fun writing it :D**

**well, until next time -which i cant garauntee when- bye...**

**-Shinigami out.**


End file.
